pyramid

Structure memos and decision documents using the Pyramid Principle with a multi-phase audit pipeline.

Updated Mar 18, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/pgoell/pgoell-claude-tools --skill pyramid-pgoell
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: pyramid
Source: https://github.com/pgoell/pgoell-claude-tools/tree/main/plugins/writing/skills/pyramid
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/pgoell/pgoell-claude-tools --skill pyramid-pgoell

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Analytical documents often bury their conclusions, mix overlapping arguments, or open with throat-clearing context. This Skill enforces Barbara Minto's Pyramid Principle so memos, recommendations, briefings, and decision documents lead with a clear governing thought supported by MECE groupings. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Three construction modes: Build a pyramid from scratch (greenfield), reverse-engineer one from an existing draft (restructure), or develop it through an interactive Socratic dialogue with pause, resume, and hand-off support. - Parallel audit panel: Four auditors check MECE grouping, So-What substance, Q-A alignment, and inductive/deductive logic, with CRITICAL verdicts triggering automatic reconstruction passes. - SCQA opener and render: Composes a Situation-Complication-Question-Answer opener against the stable apex, then renders a final pyramid.md with audit notes; MISMATCH verdicts degrade gracefully instead of fabricating complications. - Use Case: Paste a rambling project update draft and receive a restructured pyramid with an apex-first outline, evidence tiers, an SCQA opener, and a log of every cut made during extraction. ## Quick Start Ask the assistant to structure your memo or draft with the pyramid skill, for example by saying "Use the pyramid skill to restructure my draft at ./project-update.md into a decision memo."

Frequently Asked Questions about pyramid

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I structure a memo using the Pyramid Principle?

State the apex (your one-sentence governing thought) first, then group 3-5 supporting findings that answer the question the apex raises, with evidence beneath each. This Skill automates that flow through intake, construct, audit, opener, and render phases.

How to restructure an existing draft into a pyramid format?

Use restructure mode: provide the draft path or paste it inline, and the construct agent extracts assertions, clusters them, names governing thoughts, and MECE-checks the grouping. It writes construction.md plus restructure-notes.md logging every cut.

What is the difference between greenfield, restructure, and Socratic modes?

Greenfield builds a pyramid from a topic and audience via an agent. Restructure reverse-engineers one from an existing draft. Socratic runs an interactive turn-by-turn dialogue where you supply every node, with options to pause, resume, or hand off to greenfield.

When should I not use the Pyramid Principle for writing?

Avoid it for narrative longform, personal essays, exploratory documents, emotionally-driven persuasion, creative writing, and pedagogical walk-throughs. The Skill's domain-limits gate detects these genres and offers to route you to a general writing skill instead.

What happens when a pyramid audit fails?

If any of the four auditors (MECE, So-What, Q-A Alignment, Inductive/Deductive) returns CRITICAL, the construct phase re-runs with the audit summary injected as reviewer feedback. After two failed iterations, you choose to continue with known issues, pause, or cancel.

Can I resume an interrupted pyramid session?

Yes. A state file records the mode, active reference, and last completed phase per working directory. On the next invocation the Skill detects existing artifacts and offers to resume from the next phase or jump to any named phase.